Responsive: In Cold Blood - Research: Book Cover Inspirations

How to make an effective book cover?

Before beginning to design the book cover, I did some research on book cover designs so that I could come up with something eye-catching to the buyers. I have no prior experience designing a book cover, but I have to admit that I judge a book based on its cover. According to David Pelham, who used to be a prolific cover designer for Penguin Books, a good book cover will attract the buyers from the other side of the bookstore towards the book, and it intrigues them to pick up the book. With striking but simple illustration and design that suited the book's subject matter, such enticement can be achieved.

I went to Waterstones in town to take a picture of some of chilling book covers that inherit the qualities that I talked about on the previous paragraph. Here are some of them:

In the present, Penguin fiction books have no single dominant style like those tripartite design of the classic Penguin books. There is artistic freedom to use all the cover space effectively in order to appeal to potential reader. The cover design could be a 'graphic haiku', meaning that the whole cover indicate the atmospheric content of the book. This approach is prominently used in Penguin's crime titles cover design. (i.e: the cover reflects the mood of the book rather than create a literal depiction of it)

Aino-Maija Metsola's abstract and painterly book cover reflects the impressionistic writing style of Virginia Woolf. There is a flow in each of these illustrations which also introduces the reader to the subject matter of 'stream of consciousness' which is the core theme of Woolf's narratives.

Aino-Maija Metsola's Virginia Woolf book covers

Inspiration for cover design can come from iconic objects just like this book cover below which is inspired by an eye chart.

Sources

• https://www.talenthouse.com/articles/get-to-know-john-hamilton
• http://www.creativebloq.com/graphic-design/penguin-covers-612338
• http://bookcoverarchive.com/search/john+hamilton
• http://penguindesign.tumblr.com/page/4
• http://craigmod.com/journal/hack_the_cover/?src=longreads
• https://medium.com/galleys/judge-this-ef99c0164b84?src=longreads#.xs6jvteii
• http://www.itsnicethat.com/news/aino-maija-metsola-virginia-woolf-covers-270716
• Baines, P. (2005) Penguin By Design: A Cover Story 1935-2005, London, Penguin Books
• Capote, T. (2012 [1966]) In Cold Blood: A true Account of a Multiple Murderer and Its Consequences, London, Penguin Books

Other inspirations: Alternative Movie Posters

Alternative movie poster designs are usually simple but striking, and remain true to the content of the film. Simplicity of the designs resembled some of the Penguin book covers featured in 'Penguin by Design'. In addition, the effective use of illustrations and the typefaces say it all about the film while still conceals a mystery of the plot, which is the kind of design that I think is effective to trigger the buyers' curiosity and get them hooked to the book.